podcast
CNN 5 Good Things
How about a break — for your ears? At CNN, we know the news can be a lot to take in. So each week, 5 Good Things offers you a respite from the heavy headlines and intense news cycle. Treat yourself to something fun and uplifting every Saturday as we share the bright side of life from all over the globe.
From Fear to Freedom, One Swim Lesson at a Time
CNN 5 Good Things
Jul 5, 2025
As the US approaches its 250th birthday, thousands of people are putting their hopes for the future on colorful wish walls across the country. This pilot flies at-risk shelter animals to places where they have a better chance of getting adopted. In St. Louis, Missouri, this all-Black swim team and their parents are diving into more than the deep end. Plus, the top five best towns to visit in America, per CNN’s readers and contributors – what towns should be on next year’s list?
Episode Transcript
Krista Bo
00:00:00
'Hey there, I hope you're enjoying this holiday weekend with some fireworks, maybe a hot dog or two, or a slice of good old American apple pie. This week's feel-good stories are packed with some serious summer vibes.
Najma Nasiruddin
00:00:13
There's a freedom that comes with that comfort of knowing that your kid can swim and that you can swim.
Krista Bo
00:00:18
'In St. Louis, an all-Black swim team is diving into more than just the deep end. Plus, if you're itching for a getaway, consider going to these five U.S. towns where summer adventure is guaranteed. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo, and this is 5 Good Things.
Krista Bo
00:00:37
Fourth of July weekend usually means fireworks, cookouts, maybe a few too many red, white and blue desserts. But the holiday is not just a celebration. It's a reminder that the American story isn't finished. And we all have a role in shaping what comes next. This summer, dozens of museums around the country are inviting visitors to add to something called "wish walls" ahead of the country's 250th birthday next year.
Katie Costa
00:01:04
The wish wall allows us to step out of reality for a little bit, be imaginative about your biggest hopes and dreams to instill hope for a brighter and stronger future for our country.
Krista Bo
00:01:17
'That's Katie Costa. She's the 26-year-old artist who designed the 28-foot wish wall for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, where thousands of people wrote their dreams for the years ahead. The live art installation ran at the Smithsonian from Juneteenth through July 4th, a.k.a. Civic Season, a nationwide campaign from the nonprofit, Made by Us that encourages civic engagement among young people. Katie's mural featured cloud-framed colorful portals to the next 10, 50, and 100 years into the future.
Katie Costa
00:01:52
But the further you go, you're starting to think about future generations and what are wishes that I can be hopeful about that will not affect me at all, but will affect the people that come after me. We had some silly ones, like everybody gets a free dog; $10 every day.
Krista Bo
00:02:10
One wish read that we cure cancer. Another said that the U.S. always strives to be the beacon on the hill. Someone wanted pollution to be effectively addressed. But Katie says the most common themes for wishes were big ones: equality, justice, and empathy.
Katie Costa
00:02:26
A world where every single group can see another perspective.
Krista Bo
00:02:31
Even though the Smithsonian mural has come down, many of those handwritten notes are being preserved and put into a time capsule to be opened 50 years from now in 2075. But if you missed it, select museums nationwide still have wish walls up through the summer. And the digital wish wall lives on at www.onour250th.org.
Katie Costa
00:02:54
The wishful is for all Americans. You don't have to have the ultimate plan for world peace, but you just need one or two little sparks of hope.
Krista Bo
00:03:08
When animal shelters in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina were overwhelmed last month, they didn't give up, they got creative.
Michael Schneider
00:03:15
They're so excited and relieved when organizations such as ours come down there and pick up animals because it creates space.
Krista Bo
00:03:23
So the shelters teamed up with Michael Schneider, a pilot from New York and the founder of a nonprofit called PILOTS TO THE RESCUE. They transport animals at risk of being euthanized to places they're more likely to be adopted.
Krista Bo
00:03:35
'So he flew from an airport in Essex County, New Jersey to North Myrtle Beach, picked up around 30 cats, kittens, and dogs, and flew them to no-kill shelters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. And since then, he says all but two dogs have been adopted.
Michael Schneider
00:03:53
It's all about creating space. We have oversupply in the south and a great demand up here in the northeast. So you have a chance of being adopted.
Krista Bo
00:04:02
Each year, hundreds of thousands of animals are euthanized in the US. Since launching in 2015, PILOTS TO THE RESCUE has saved more than 4,400 animals and counting, from cats and dogs to sea turtles and even some endangered species like red wolves.
Michael Schneider
00:04:18
I was the kid in the neighborhood that nursed the bird with the broken wing back to health. The fact that I could use an aircraft and this pilot's license that I worked so hard to achieve and combine it with something I loved, which is rescuing animals, was just like icing on the cake for me.
Krista Bo
00:04:35
Michael says most of their rescues come from southern states like the Carolinas and Tennessee, where mild weather and a lack of spaying and neutering lead to overcrowded shelters.
Michael Schneider
00:04:46
Were a voice for our furry friends and I love that people are now thinking about adopting more animals.
Makos swim meet
00:04:58
Go E! [cheering]
Eli Gilliam
00:05:03
It just really relaxes me when I'm swimming. It's just like a place where I can be by myself and have my own thoughts.
Krista Bo
00:05:14
'That's 14-year-old Elijah Gilliam. He goes by Eli, and he lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where he's making waves on the Makos swim team. It's the only all-Black swim team in the region and one of the few in the country.
Eli Gilliam
00:05:28
We all have a connection over something which brings us together more. We're an all Black swim team and we're really strong when we stick together.
Krista Bo
00:05:38
The team is made up of about 40 kids, ranging from four to 19 years old, where they learn how to compete and practice water safety. And Eli says they're all pretty passionate about the sport.
Eli Gilliam
00:05:49
My shirt says, my favorite swimmer is Black. Black kids swim too. That's really what the Makos is all about.
Krista Bo
00:06:01
Eli's love for swimming even inspired his mom to get into the water, to try to get over her fear of swimming. A recent CDC report found that over a third of Black adults say they don't know how to swim. And about 63% say they've never taken a swimming lesson. Another report from 2024 shows that Black people under the age of 30 are 1.5 times more likely to drown than white people. Both reports cite low accessibility to swimming lessons as a possible reason. So that's why several Makos swim team parents created the Black Swimmers Alliance to try to change that.
Najma Nasiruddin
00:06:37
If you go nationwide, people would say Black people don't know how to swim and have a deep fear of water that they almost can't put into terms. That is literally a generational trauma that we have to address. And so the cool part about the Alliance, there's a freedom that comes with that comfort of knowing that your kid can swim and that you can swim.
Krista Bo
00:06:57
Najma Nasiruddin is the Vice President of the Alliance, which launched in late 2023.
Najma Nasiruddin
00:07:02
We all agree that the ultimate goal is to save a life and to build community. So there's no financial requirement. It's just come, take a lesson, learn how to swim, and have some fun with us.
Krista Bo
00:07:15
Najma says she, her husband, and her mother have all learned how to swim because of the Black Swimmers Alliance, and says the group has provided more than 200 swim lessons at rec centers and YMCAs across St. Louis. She says things are going so well that some of the parents actually want to start their own team and compete against their kids.
Najma Nasiruddin
00:07:35
I'm at the point of my life where my daughter might be able to beat me or something, and I'm not ready to accept that. So I won't be a part of this. And I don't understand why they want to take this L, because the kids are excellent. But they are set on it, and we'll see if it ever gets on the books.
Krista Bo
00:07:56
To find out more, check out blackswimmersalliance.org. The link is also in our show notes.
Krista Bo
00:08:05
Maybe you're listening to this on the way to your holiday weekend destination, and if you're still figuring out where to go next this year, we've got some recs. CNN Travel editors asked their readers and contributors to nominate towns they think are the best places to visit in America that are kind of underrated and off the beaten path a bit, and they delivered. Last weekend, we covered towns 10 through six, so check that out if you haven't already, but now it's time to reveal the top five, starting with the coastal state capital of Maryland.
Laura Coates
00:08:35
Finish this sentence for me: you can't come to Annapolis without eating what?
Capitain
00:08:39
Maryland blue crab. They import crabs now from Louisiana, Florida, and North Carolina, but nothing like the Chesapeake Bay blue crab
Krista Bo
00:08:48
CNN's Laura Coates took a trip to Annapolis, Maryland, with its deep maritime roots, some seriously good seafood, and an epic boating scene. No wonder the town is considered by many as America's capital of sailing.
Capitain 2
00:09:01
'It's a stand-up paddleboard, a kayak, a powerboat, a sailboat. This is where you come to do it.
Krista Bo
00:09:07
Coming in at number four is a remote getaway at the edge of the Cascade Mountains out west with an outdoorsy, work hard, play hard vibe. And that's Bend, Oregon.
Bend Bike Tour Guide
00:09:16
'It's a great place to try a bunch of different sports. It's not just for your most extreme kind of human. It's easy to go from like riding your bike in the city to getting on a trail for the first time without feeling like it's a death-defying feat.
Krista Bo
00:09:31
But as CNN's Coy Wire learned when he visited, there's plenty of sports for the daredevils to try. From skiing and mountain biking. To rock climbing, surfing, and kayaking.
Coy Wire
00:09:44
What? Look at this. Unbelievable. Hang ten, bro.
Krista Bo
00:09:51
The water in the river the city's named after is so fresh and crisp, it fuels the booming craft beer scene with over 30 local breweries to choose from.
Brewer
00:10:00
Almost anywhere you go, you're gonna find great beer on tap.
Coy Wire
00:10:04
'And are we talking award-winning? Like, how good are they?
Brewer
00:10:06
'Oh, yeah, I mean, world-class award- winning beers in most categories you can think of.
Krista Bo
00:10:12
Next up on the list, taking the number three spot, is Asheville, North Carolina, thanks to its mountain setting and the resilience scene in its food, beverage, and art scenes. I say resilience because the area was ravaged by Hurricane Helene last September. So you gotta take a detour on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's been gradually reopening since the massive storm damage, but before that, it was the most visited national park unit in the nation.
Carolyn Ward
00:10:38
It's 469 miles of uninterrupted motor road. This park was designed by landscape architects that thought if I come around this corner, what would be a beautiful vista to see?
Krista Bo
00:10:51
And in town, there's no shortage of places to eat and whet your whistle. Coy checked out a new spot called Potential New Boyfriend, which he says perfectly captures the city's eclectic vibes.
Disco, owner of Potential New Boyfriend
00:11:03
'It's a Hi-Fi listening lounge, dessert bar, and wine bar. The idea was to create a space that would feel like you're going to your cool friend's living room for like a dinner party, where you're gonna meet some good friends, maybe meet some new people.
Krista Bo
00:11:17
Up next, the top two towns to visit in America. Number two is a town to explore the great outdoors, and number one is a showstopper for scenery. Stick with us, we'll be right back.
Krista Bo
00:11:34
'Tucked in the Rocky Mountains where four major rivers meet, Missoula, Montana sits at number two on CNN's list. Offering the best of both worlds, world-class wilderness with a thriving urban vibe.
Emily Rolston
00:11:47
You don't want to go too far if you want to have that chuckwagon experience or you want to have solitude out in the wilderness. But I think what's so great about Missoula is yeah, you get to see a show. You can have visited an art gallery in the same day.
Krista Bo
00:12:00
Fly fishing is ingrained in the local way of life.
Missoula resident
00:12:04
You know pick it up!Fire it in there. Awesome, money.
Krista Bo
00:12:08
'And the Kettle House Amphitheater is a must-see for stunning natural views while you jam out to your favorite band. And CNN's best town to visit in America in 2025 is Ithaca, New York, where CNN's Victor Blackwell learned you don't have to go very far to find a spectacular waterfall.
Victor Blackwell
00:12:28
This is beautiful. Wow, wow, wow. Yeah, never gets old. Not that we're competing, but it's 33 feet higher than Niagara Falls.
Krista Bo
00:12:38
'Taughannock Falls is one of more than 150 waterfalls around Ithaca. And in town, there's a vibrant college-town culture with Cornell University and Ithaca College nearby. And you can find fresh, homegrown flavors at their famous farmers' market that's been around since the 1970s.
Krista Bo
00:12:57
Over the last 15 years, a nonprofit called Ithaca Murals has worked with artists to transform the city's gray spaces into 400 public art murals to showcase the community's spirit and creativity.
Ithaca Murals representative
00:13:10
All the parking garages, and all the electrical boxes, and all of the retaining walls. And so it's about shifting our cultural cityscape to really honor the people and the values that live here.
Krista Bo
00:13:20
So there you have it, ten of America's best towns to visit in 2025, compiled with help from CNN's readers. If you want to learn more about each town or suggest any places for next year's list, head to CNN.com/best towns. The link is also in our show notes.
Krista Bo
00:13:40
All right, that's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. Five Good Things is a production of CNN Podcasts. This episode was produced by Eryn Mathewson and me, Krista Bo. Our senior producers are Faiz Jamil and Felicia Patinkin. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our technical director. And Steve Lickteig is the executive producer of CNN Podcasts.
Krista Bo
00:14:04
We get support from Joey Salvia, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to Jackson Loo and his entire team of awesome producers and Wendy Brundige. And last but not least, thank you especially for listening. Take care.
